Reuse, Recycling, Storage and Disposal of Farm Wastes FAQs
Q. Can I use manures and slurries on
farm?
A. Yes, manure and slurry can still be spread on
any farm, providing it delivers agricultural benefit and is applied
in accordance with Prevention of Environmental Pollution From
Agricultural Activity – the PEPFAA code of good practice, and
the guidance contained in The 4 Point Plan) it will not be
regarded as waste. Manure and slurry which is excess to
requirements and is to be disposed of, should be treated as
waste.
Q. Can I use road scalpings/planings
to repair/resurface farm roads?
A.
Yes, farmers may use road planings to repair or resurface farm
roads. Recovered asphalt road planings which are to be used for
farm roads are not regarded as waste if they are asphalt planings,
processed to a specification using a milling road planer and as the
use is certain. Under these circumstances, no licence or exemption
is required for the use of road planings.
Q. How should I deal with stones
cleared from fields?
A. SEPA's view
is that stones used beneficially, e.g. added to field walls, used
in roads, used to create Habitats etc. would not be regarded as
waste. Where stones are to be reused they can be stored on-farm
e.g. field stones can stored for up to 3 years prior to being used
for repairing roads etc. Stones which are not be used for
beneficial use and which are to be disposed of are classed as
waste. They should therefore be taken to a suitably licensed site
for disposal.
Q. Is it possible to utilise the brick
and stone from an old farm building to make up a road within the
same farm?
A. The material being
used is waste and therefore a Paragraph 19
exemption should
be registered with your local SEPA office at least 21 days before
carrying out such an activity.
Q. A number of growers are considering
buying and sharing a plastics recycling bin. Do we have to register
this activity?
A. Yes, the shared
storage of waste plastics should be registered with SEPA as
a Paragraph 17 exemption,
unless it is stored only on the farm which produced it. You can
register this exemption for free through our online
registration page.
Q. Can I set up a collection centre
for farm waste plastics, to facilitate bulking of the plastics
prior to them being taken to a recycling facility? Can the bulking
process involve shredding and / or
baling?
A. Yes. If you bale, sort,
shred, compact or wash less than 100 tonnes of waste plastic per
week, you can register a Paragraph 11
exemption with SEPA. You can register this exemption for free
through our online
registration page.
Q. How long can I store waste on my
farm before disposing of it?
A.
Waste generated on the farm can be stored on the same farm for up
to 3 years without notifying SEPA providing the waste will be
reused for a beneficial purpose.
If waste is to be disposed of it may only be
stored on the same for one year prior to disposal.